ON THE northwest border of
Switzerland lies the small town
of Laufen, where one company
has firm roots in the past while
keeping an eye on innovation.

Ricola, the maker of cough and throat
drops, got its start in the ;;;;s when master baker Emil Richterich created the
herbal mixture still used today to make the
Original Natural Herb Cough Drops. The
instantly recognizable rectangular drops
became so popular that Emil and his wife
shut down their bakery a decade later to set
up full-time throat drop production. The
name Ricola comes from shortening
Richterich Compagnie Laufen.

In the past ;;-plus years, Ricola hasgro wn into a global brand. “We have devel-oped a lot of new products, new flavors,new textures and new packaging con-cepts,” says CEO Felix Richterich, thethird generation to lead the family-ownedcompany. “Our original herb cough drop isstill our No. ; product worldwide. That’sour flagship and will remain our flagship.”As with many companies, sustainabil-ity is a priority for Ricola. “It’s importantthat you not only claim it, but you also liveit and try to get better,” says Richterichfrom his office in Laufen. “We all knowthat there’s room for improvement. We tryto set goals and to become, every year, alittle bit better.”To help reach its goals, Ricola hasinvested in energy-saving standards andtechnology, only uses herbs from organicfarms—acreage equal to approximately;;; football fields—and sources ;; per-cent of its raw materials from within ;;;miles of Laufen.

Another priority is quality control.Ricola’s products have to meet Swissmedic(the Swiss regulatory authority for medi-cine) requirements along with U.S. Foodand Drug Administration and interna-tional food standards for all of the coun-tries where its products are available.

The process begins with various checks
of the raw materials, followed by additional random checks during production.
The finished products are controlled for
active-ingredient standardization and
packaging control.

Richterich adds, “The taste is veryimportant, so we taste the products in ourlaboratory, and we have a group ofemployees from different departments …tasting existing products and new prod-uct ideas. They are trained to describewhat they taste: Is it bitter, is it salty, is itsweet, is it herbal?”All of that hard work—from harvestingherbs to the final product—is a point ofpride for Richterich. “What people don’trealize is what care we take for our herbs,”he says. “Most people think it’s just a flavoror something, but we really cultivate theherbs in the Swiss mountains, with a lot ofcare, with our producers who are indepen-dent farmers.” C

COMMENT ABOUT COSTCO: “Costco has
been a valued business partner of Ricola
since shortly after the brand was first sold
in the U.S. They know their members very
well, and always challenge us to make
sure we are delivering the best product
at the best price for the Costco member.”

—Bill Higgins, president, Ricola USA Harvesting the herbs.

HERBAL LORE

WHILE THE recipe for Ricola’s Original
Natural Herb Throat Drops is a secret,
here’s a look at how some of the herbs
have been used throughout history.
According to folklore, the hollow branches
of the elder bush have been known to
de-stress and uplift.

Horehound was often placed inside
medicine chests of pharaohs or used as
a poison cure in Roman times.

Greeks used hyssop to fight off throat,
chest and other bronchial complaints.
In ancient times, peppermint was used
for calming and cooling effects.